The Goldilocks principle and perioperative red blood cell transfusion: Overuse, underuse, getting it just right

Commentary: Can a health care quality lens clarify transfusion practice in perioperative cardiac surgery?

“…Second, it challenges the common dogma that the targeted hemoglobin level should approximate the patient's age. As Hensley and colleagues 6 note, in the 6-month follow up investigation by Mazer and colleagues, 7 both the noninferiority between treatment groups for the primary outcome and the adverse effect of liberal transfusion in those with more advanced age persist. Finally, this work considers transfusion practice related to value-added activity for the patient and overall health care system, and in doing so brings us closer to answering the question ''Can we get it just right?…”